Goal.com: Reds target denies demands

Lewis Holtby's agent has confirmed that his client has not demanded €6 million [£4.8m] per year from Schalke, as is being reported.

The 22-year-old, whom Goal.com exclusively revealed is a transfer target for Liverpool, will be out of contract in June and, despite negotiations dragging on for longer than the player is happy with, his representative is adamant that there is a disparity between reports and fact.

"These numbers have been plucked from the air," Markus Noack told Goal.com.

"Ultimately, it was only myself, Horst Heldt and [Schalke sporting director] Gerhard Zuber sitting at the negotiating table. To my knowledge, no media representatives were there, so how would they know?

"The press are building it up more than they should. It could be the club trying to add some pressure because, if I put myself in their position, then I can understand that they might want to panic both the player and his agent. We have seen this in the past."

When asked how Holtby is dealing with the circumstances, Noack explained that, although he is affected by the breakdown, his mind is still very focused on playing for the club.

"I would be lying if I said that does not affect him. Lewis and I both know what we spoke about with the club and I am fully convinced that he can be professional about the situation and focus on the his job," he replied.

Source: Goal.com